1. (n.) A thicket of bushes, usually thorn bushes; especially, such a thicket planted as a fence between any two portions of land; and also any sort of shrubbery, as evergreens, planted in a line or as a fence; particularly, such a thicket planted round a field to fence it, or in rows to separate the parts of a garden.

2. (v. t.) To enclose or separate with a hedge; to fence with a thickly set line or thicket of shrubs or small trees; as, to hedge a field or garden.

3. (v. t.) To obstruct, as a road, with a barrier; to hinder from progress or success; -- sometimes with up and out.

4. (v. t.) To surround for defense; to guard; to protect; to hem (in).

5. (v. t.) To surround so as to prevent escape.

6. (v. i.) To shelter one's self from danger, risk, duty, responsibility, etc., as if by hiding in or behind a hedge; to skulk; to slink; to shirk obligations.

7. (v. i.) To reduce the risk of a wager by making a bet against the side or chance one has bet on.

8. (v. i.) To use reservations and qualifications in one's speech so as to avoid committing one's self to anything definite.

abate about the bush adjust to allowance alter around the bush assuage bar beat about beat around beg the question bicker boggle border line bound boundary boundary condition boundary line bourn box in break boundary breakoff point bulkhead in cage calculation canniness care careful consideration carefulness caution cautiousness cavil ceiling cession choplogic circumscribe circumscription circumspection clear the decks compass concession condition confine consider every angle contain coop copyright corral cutoff cutoff point deadline deliberate stages deliberateness deliberation delimitation determinant diminish discipline discretion division line dodge draw the line duck end equivocate evade evade the issue exception exemption extenuating circumstances extremity fence finish floor forearm frontier gingerliness grain of salt grant guard against guardedness hedge about hedging heed heedfulness hem hem and haw hesitation high-water mark immure interface judiciousness leave out nothing leaven limen limit limitation limiting factor line line of demarcation low-water mark lower limit make sure make sure against march mark mental reservation mete mew mindfulness mitigate moderate modification modify modulate mystify narrow nitpick obscure overlook no possibility pale palisade palliate palter parry patent pawkiness pen pick nits picket play safe prepare for prevaricate prior consultation provide a hedge provide against provide for prudence prudentialness pull away pull back pussyfoot put off qualification qualify quibble rail recoil reduce reef down regardfulness register regulate by reservation restrain restrict restriction safeness safety first salvo scant season set conditions set limits sheer off shift shift off shorten sail shrink shuffle shy shy away shy off sidestep slowness to act soften solicitude special case special treatment specialize specialness specification split hairs start starting line starting point step aside stint straiten swerve take measures take precautions take steps target date temper tentativeness tergiversate term terminal date terminus thoroughness threshold time allotment uncommunicativeness unprecipitateness upper limit waiver wall ward off weasel